The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands

by Jon Billman

For readers of Jon Krakauer and Douglas Preston, the critically acclaimed author and journalist Jon Billman's fascinating, in-depth look at people who vanish in the wilderness without a trace and those eccentric, determined characters who try to find them.

These are the stories that defy conventional logic. The proverbial vanished without a trace incidences, which happen a lot more (and a lot closer to your backyard) than almost anyone thinks. These are the missing whose situations are the hardest on loved ones left behind. The cases that are an embarrassment for park superintendents, rangers and law enforcement charged with Search & Rescue. The ones that baffle the volunteers who comb the mountains, woods and badlands. The stories that should give you pause every time you venture outdoors.

Through Jacob Gray's disappearance in Olympic National Park, and his father Randy Gray who left his life to search for him, we will learn about what happens when someone goes missing. Braided around the core will be the stories of the characters who fill the vacuum created by a vanished human being. We'll meet eccentric bloodhound-handler Duff and R.C., his flagship purebred, who began trailing with the family dog after his brother vanished in the San Gabriel Mountains. And there's Michael Neiger North America's foremost backcountry Search & Rescue expert and self-described "bushman" obsessed with missing persons. And top researcher of persons missing on public wildlands Ex-San Jose, California detective David Paulides who is also one of the world's foremost Bigfoot researchers.


It's a tricky thing to write about missing persons because the story is the absence of someone. A void. The person at the heart of the story is thinner than a smoke ring, invisible as someone else's memory. The bones you dig up are most often metaphorical. While much of the book will embrace memory and faulty memory--history--The Cold Vanish is at its core a story of now and tomorrow. Someone will vanish in the wild tomorrow. These are the people who will go looking.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Mystery, Nature, Audiobook, History, Crime

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2020

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America’s Wildlands by Jon Billman is a 2020 Grand Central Publication.

It boggles the mind how many people are reported missing on any given day. The stories behind each one is tragic and frustrating.

In this book, the author narrows the group of missing persons down to those who have vanished in wilderness areas- specifically national forest and parks.

These cases are most perplexing. Sure, one could logically presume that someone who disappeared in such an environment got lost, suffered from hypothermia, drowned, or met up with a mountain lion or bear.

But, when search parties, helicopters, and endless attempts to locate the missing fail to find the person- one way or the other- the mystery is not so cut and dried.

While watching an old episode of ‘Disappeared’ on Discovery plus recently, an anguished mother described her life as living somewhere between hell and hope. I think that may be the most apt description of being caged in the relentless trap of 'not knowing'.

The primary focus of this book is the story of Jacob Gray, who disappeared in Olympic National Park and the sheer determination of his father to find out what happened to his son.

Interspersed throughout are shorter stories of other missing persons who vanished in a wilderness location- highlighting once again the sheer volume of people who vanish, seemingly into thin air, and for those who do eventually get answers, it’s seldom a happy ending.

The subject of missing persons is one that bothers me immensely. I can’t imagine someone in my life vanishing, being left in some tortuous limbo, not knowing what happened to them- knowing in some part your brain the truth of the situation, yet unable to give up hope- getting up every single day unable to fully move on with one’s life until the truth is finally known-either way.

This book, without needing to put too fine a point on it, shows just how agonizing that limbo is. People in these situations will grab onto anything- and do mean- ANYTHING- that will give them some peace. People who, before their friend or loved one vanished, weren't given to fancy or conspiracies, will grasp at the ridiculous rather than face the truth.

In reality, several of these cases can be linked back to criminal activities- maybe even a serial killer, or drug deals gone bad, while in other cases, suicide was a possibility, and of course, falling prey to the elements, wild animals, starving or drowning are the most likely and plausible explanations.

I was familiar with one of these cases, having seen it featured on a true crime show several times. While the author seems to have made up his mind about that case- I’m still on the fence about it.

But overall, this is a harrowing, heart wrenching journey for all involved. The terrain is magnificent, brutal, and unforgiving- but beautiful- despite the circumstances.

This compelling read does showcase some criminal elements, but, doesn’t fall into the true crime category, exclusively.

It is more of a portrait of a family’s unrelenting search for a missing loved one once traditional search and rescue missions have ceased. It’s also a story of survival in the elements, man against nature, in a way.

It was also nice to see people willing to give of their time and lend their expertise- or specialized- talents to help find missing persons- especially when the family has opted to continue searching on their own.

This book touches on all the aspects of such an untenable situation- juxtaposing it against the awe and beauty of nature.

It’s a haunting, unsettling book, but at least some families were able to find those elusive answers and are now able to move forward, and hopefully find peace.

4 stars

[CDS · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have posted this same review on another website and I promise it’s not spam. It’s just that my message is important and I want to get it out there and this seems to be the only way,

As someone who actually knew Jacob and was close to him when he moved up to Washington, this book is incredibly inaccurate and offensive. Billman clearly didn’t do his “research” as he mixes up the timeline, Jacob’s relationships as well as his personality, and even unashamedly makes up information for his “non-fiction” book. I will be addressing all of these in this review as Billman’s book is so inaccurate it’s ridiculous (got us a few spiteful laughs) and disrespectful to people who I love. Don’t waste your time on this book if you want the true story. The Cold Vanish is just a big jumble of inaccurate facts and straight up lies written by a man who has no regard for a deadman’s life or parents as he blatantly disrespects both.

Before I address anything in this book, I would like to address something else. Billman did not get people’s permission to include them in his book. He includes both names and locations in his book and did so without warning us that we would be in it or that he was even writing a book. And for the few anecdotes that he did correctly scribe, he gave no warning that he was using that information in his book and as such we did not give him permission to include such personal details.

Now onto the actual book.

The multitude of absolute inaccuracies in this book is astonishing. This shouldn’t be a surprise though as Billman knew next to nothing about Jacob or his family and clearly didn’t do his research. Essentially everything in The Cold Vanish ranges from slightly twisted truths to straight up lies. Let’s address some.

Billman couldn’t even get the relationships correct in this book. He claimed the sister of the wife of his uncle was Jacob’s cousin. He also claimed the grandma of his uncle was his uncle’s mother-in-law. And these are just a few examples of how wrong he got the people involved. Also he didn’t live NEAR his aunt and uncle, he lived WITH them and later moved out for a while to an apartment when he had the money. How can you call this non-fiction or researched when you can’t even get the most basic information correct?

His portrayal of Jacob was not at all how he was. Jacob was bright and friendly, a light in many people’s lives including mine. Billman claims Jacob was already showing signs when he moved up to Washington which is completely wrong. When Jacob moved up here, he was close with his cousins and made many friends who all loved him. Jacob moved up here not due to mental illness or “his parents not being able to handle him,” but because he didn’t like his options in California. He was healthy and went on hikes and camped all the time, even taking his little cousin on them.

He got a job at a retirement home while also attending college for a future in the medical field. The residents of the retirement home loved him. I had also worked there and the residents always spoke fondly of him. Almost the entire home was distraught when he disappeared and they consistently asked if there were new findings. Jacob always joked with the residents and took the time to genuinely get to know them. He would take time to sit and listen to their stories for times on end which was not even a requirement for his job as a dishwasher. This isn’t something every young person is inclined to. This was simply because Jacob was a genuine person who truly cared for the people around him. He’s always been kind, considerate, and silly (fart jokes being a particular favorite of his). Even near the end when he was clearly struggling, he never had a mean bone in his body.

Even from my own experience, Jacob went the extra mile with me. At the time he came up here, I was withdrawn and struggling with mental health. Even when I didn’t do anything to encourage him, Jacob would spend time with me. One of my fondest memories is when he asked me what my favorite card game was in which I responded Crazy 8s. He then invited me to play Crazy 8s with him and listen to music. He wanted to listen to music I liked so he asked that I put some on. He clearly hated it but didn’t say anything. When I felt insecure, he told me it wasn’t a bad song but just overwhelming for him (it’s ok Jacob, I just listened again. It was bad). Never once did he mock me for anything no matter how awkward I was at the time. Jacob wanted to connect with everyone, including me even with how hard I made it.

As such, his characterization of Jacob was, understandably, incredibly upsetting. Especially when he claims Jacob wasn’t “disciplined,” even comparing him to his brother for this hurtful claim. Jacob maintained great grades at school, excelled at his job, and kept up an incredibly strict and healthy lifestyle. Anyone who knew him would describe Jacob as anything but undisciplined. He was hardworking and had great things ahead of him, we all knew this and respected him.

The timeline of the book is all off. As stated already, when Jacob moved up here, he showed no signs and was the bright young man he’s always been. Billman claims he was sent up here because of mental illness which is a complete and utter lie. He came up here by his own accord for better opportunities and to live with his relatives who all adored him. If he had shown signs at the time, his family would have tried to help him. They loved Jacob and would never want him to suffer in the ways he had. When he did shown signs, his family did everything in their power to try and help him.

After moving back down to California and temporarily going missing, Jacob turned up at his Uncle’s house in Washington again where he had lived before. This is when he was showing signs of instability. Jacob’s uncle immediately called his parents and they both flew in that night to try and encourage him to get help. Soon after, despite their efforts to get him not to go, Jacob left. They were distraught that they couldn’t help him but he was a grown man and there was nothing anybody could do. He was not neglected like Billman likes to imply, he was cared for deeply.

Now for a straight up lie Billman pulled seemingly out of nowhere. Billman claims that Jacob’s uncle had walked in on Jacob in the garage with his hands on his head and claimed he “couldn’t figure it out” and was “seeing the color red” everywhere. This never happened. Where did Billman get this? I wouldn’t know. The only thing SLIGHTLY true to this is Jacob seeing the color red, but this is when everyone had already tried to help him and he was with his Grandma.

This is just one of the many lies he made up. Even making up quotes and situations that family members never told him (because they aren’t true). The way he portray those who were in Jacob’s life is also inaccurate. At least characterize them correctly at the very least.

Another issue I have with this is Billman bringing up and entertaining the idea of ridiculous conspiracy theories (Sasquatch, really?). Let’s not try and conspirize his death. That incredibly disrespectful. His family has already dealt with that ridiculousness enough. No one knows what truly caused this (especially a man who can’t even get his basics on this case correct) but it definitely wasn’t the supernatural or cults. I implore Billman and everyone else to respect Jacob’s life and not make a mockery of it by trying to make a conspiracy of a young man’s death.

Lastly and probably one of my biggest issues with this so I will bring it up again. Billman did not get permission by the people he included in the book. He used full names, locations, and personal anecdotes that they were not informed he would use. It’s even more upsetting as he would make up information about them too. The most simple request I would like to make is that if you MUST continue to print this book, just remove the names and locations. I’m sure everyone would be much more comfortable and wouldn’t care about the lies as much if their names weren’t connected to such misinformation. Billman should’ve just taken inspiration and write a FICTION book if he wanted to use Jacob’s story so badly.

To Billman, I understand you were desperate to make an “interesting” story but maybe stick to the stuff you know and not try to profit off the pain of others. This book was clearly not made to tell Jacob’s story, it was made for your own profit and name because you saw an interesting story. It also would’ve been helpful if you had actually let us know you were writing this so we could’ve given you the correct information maybe. :)

And for Jacob, I know you’re in a good place, there’s no way you aren’t. I know you saw all the effort that went into finding you and the love that everyone has for you. You were an important and amazing part of all our lives and we’ll always miss you. I would do anything to go back and time and do things a different way so you wouldn’t have to experience the pain you had. I hope to see you again one day and maybe I can show you another song you’ll have to pretend you don’t hate.

[JEN A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher in return for an honest review. The release date for this book was 7 July 2020

This was a difficult but rewarding book to read. As a parent your greatest fear is losing your child but even worse would be losing your child and not knowing what happened to them. The author does a great job of telling the story of a missing biker and his father’s journey to find the truth. The statistics provided in this book about folks going missing in national parks is quite alarming. The book touches on such topics as Bigfoot, UFOs, parallel universes, and serial killers. It’s enough to make you not want to go hiking anymore. This read isn’t for everyone but it is a book that is very eye-opening regarding certain aspects of our society and how we treat the missing. I highly recommend it.

[Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a life-long resident of the west where vast areas of public land are common. I’ve read many articles about people who go missing in forests, canyons, and on mountains and assisted in a search for one of those missing. Because of that I have some awareness of wilderness disappearances, but after reading “The Cold Vanish” I realize how little I actually know. The book focuses on the disappearance of Jacob Gray in Olympic National Park and covers all the aspects of the search for him through both rational and questionable means. Interwoven are accounts of others who have gone missing in wild places. Bellman writes with eloquence, empathy, and insight about the heartbreak endured by family and friends of the missing. They live a life composed of searching, waiting, questioning, and enduring until answers come, if they ever do. Informative, heartbreaking, engaging, alarming, propulsive, and extremely well written, this is a book not to be missed, particularly for those interested in true crime or wilderness explorations.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Fiona Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs man’s torments.” - Friedrich Nietzsche, not used in the book but entirely applicable.

Jon Billman has managed to write a pretty remarkable book here - one that's extensively researched and very well-written, one that's both informative and deeply affecting.

It was when he was researching the main case of this book, that of missing cyclist Jacob Gray, that the idea for the book itself was born; as part of the research, the author kept encountering stumbling blocks that lead him to realise the enormity of the nightmare that is trying to find a missing person in the United States. From the lack of any centralised database for those missing in the wild, to the utter inconsistency of search and rescue plans (should any even exist) between various organisations, to the sheer range of landscapes in which people disappear.

There's other cases mentioned throughout the book, but Jacob's - arguably more his family's - is where the focus lies. It's harrowing. It's clear the author's closeness to the family wasn't manufactured for the purpose of securing the story, because he's managed to write into this book the exhaustion, despair, and, yes, the hope of those left behind.

It's a very good book, a very hard book to read, and an incredible collection of information that no-one else seems to want to put together.

[coty ☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

8/31/20 update: finally getting around to reducing my rating to one star. a few days ago comments were made on this review regarding the inclusion of jacob gray's story and the deceit employed by the author, jon billman. he fabricated conversations and events from the family and did not seek out their permission to actually write this story. a post on the Find Jacob Gray facebook page goes into more detail and verifies the comments on this (and other) reviews. i think this is disgusting and the fact that the publishers never fact-checked to ensure they weren't publishing a lie is astounding to me. i'll be leaving my original review to provide context for the comments but know that i no longer hold this book in such high regard. jon billman is a vulture and jacob gray's family and memory deserves better representation than this.

*****

original review:

What Jon Billman does so well in The Cold Vanish is remind us of a fundamental truth that's occasionally forgotten: the people who go missing are real people. In the distance between us and the cases we read about in the news or on forums or consume in (slightly) sensationalized media like missing411, it's easy to forget that; it's easy to get lost in conspiracy theories and talk of the paranormal, and to forget that there are people who are gone, and that they've left people behind. Billman handles the case of Jacob Gray (and the cases that intersect the narrative) with a professional grace. He humanizes rather than mythologizes, reminding us again and again of the people at the heart of these stories, and each story he recounts is heartbreaking. Sharp writing paired with the fact he never exploits the people he writes about makes for an amazing account of a phenomenon that's terrifying to think about; there's one passage in the book where a woman he'd spoken to points out that we lean into conspiracy theories because it helps our fear of the missing, and that really stuck with me. The book is well-researched and well-organized, flowing seamlessly between accounts of the missing, and always tying back to the central narrative of the search for Jacob incredibly well. There's a lot of nods towards other media on the topics that are now on my radar to consume further, as this is a topic that's recently become of incredible interest to me.

One of my favorite passages was Billman acknowledging how many indigenous women go missing, and how little resources are dedicated to searching for them, and though it was only briefly discussed, I'm glad it was brought into the spotlight at all.

This is emotional, raw yet expertly written, and I'm really grateful to netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was brilliant reading. Incredibly interesting and so well researched. I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I might.

Jon Billman tells us real stories of people who have gone missing in areas of the USA like state forests and the like. Many of these missing people are never found and the sheer numbers that vanish is astounding. Jon describes a good number of cases and follows the case of Jacob Gray, a young man who went missing and the incredible search that ensued from it. The book weaves in the journey that the author took with Jacob's father who never gave up looking for him, searching far and wide. I had to know the outcome!

In his research the book talks about the lack of resources and delays and red tape that happens with people missing in these areas versus going missing in suburbia. A lot of families do things like Crowd Funding to get the money to keep searching when officials have given up. It's heartbreaking reading the efforts loved ones go to and their frustrations at authorities in many cases.

Expert trackers, bloodhounds, cadaver dogs, river divers, hunters, volunteers - great insight into how all of these get involved in these searches for missing people. Most of the people who vanish are experienced hikers, familiar with the terrain and conditions. Out of the woodwork of course pops your theories on alien abduction, portals to another realm and I found it fascinating reading of Jon's time with a group of Bigfoot watchers with a fair bit of evidence on their existence.

Jon covers lots of different locations all around the USA, many of them "hot spots" known for people going missing. Sometimes found are bits of equipment, a tent, signs of life at some point. Sometimes bodies are found, many times not. The people that Jon meets on his journalistic exploration is truly fascinating reading. He writes so well that I felt I was there on the trails and the hunt with people.

A brilliant book that I really enjoyed and read quickly. Find out for yourself and grab this one!

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. All review opinions are my own and totally unbiased.

[JEN A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult but rewarding book to read. As a parent your greatest fear is losing your child but even worse would be losing your child and not knowing what happened to them. The author does a great job of telling the story of a missing biker and his father’s journey to find the truth. The statistics provided in this book about folks going missing in national parks is quite alarming. The book touches on such topics as Bigfoot, UFOs, parallel universes, and serial killers. It’s enough to make you not want to go hiking anymore. This read isn’t for everyone but it is a book that is very eye-opening regarding certain aspects of our society and how we treat the missing. I highly recommend it.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with missing person stories.Television shows, podcasts, youtube videos....I'm not exactly sure what attracts me to tales of the disappeared, but I listen to many of them. I think it might be that I can't imagine never knowing....having someone close to me disappear and the idea of how shattering it would be to never know where they are and what happened. Even when remains are found, the whole story is rarely revealed. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose someone like that....a friend, a parent....a child.

When I saw this book available for review, of course I jumped right on it. Yep -- definitely reading this one. And I'm glad I did. Billman not only shares details of multiple cases of missing persons in national parks, but he doesn't just focus on the missing and their families, but delves into those who search and law enforcement/park authorities. Can you imagine searching the wilderness for a lost child....only to find nothing? I can't imagine how difficult that must be for EMS, park rangers and police. Tracking dogs who can't find a scent trail....no evidence....and a lingering, heart-breaking mystery.

Here one second....gone the next. And it could happen to anyone, even skilled outdoorsmen. Our national parks are beautiful, but these stories do shoot home the idea that hacking trails through it does not tame the wilderness. There are wild animals, and other dangers in any national park. So many people though....and so few answers. Even in vast miles of wilderness, it seems odd that people vanish so often.

Loved this book! Billman presents facts in an interesting way, and brings the stories of the vanished to life. I read my review copy, and then immediately bought the audio book. Hope to read more by this author!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[Ankit Garg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman is a true crime book talking about the persons who have gone missing in the wild. The central story revolves around the disappearance of Jacob Gray, and his father's quest to find him. The prose also mentions a lot of similar cases about people going missing in the American wildlands.

The narration is good overall, but it got boring at times, so much so that I was left wondering why I was even reading this work in the first place.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: One time read.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating deep dive into the forest and the mysteries of those who the forest has swallowed up before their time. I've always been interested in David Paulides' books first, and this has a similar vein, but perhaps a bit more personal, as the author becomes close to the families of the missing people he is researching. At times, the book felt a bit all over the place, and some stories felt random and unrelated, but I think it was just the author's wandering thoughts. I always had hopes for the stories, but alas, most did not have happy endings.

[Shaelene (aGirlWithBookss) · Rating 1 out of 5]

***Edited to include further info from the family***

DNF at 50%
I requested this book expecting to read about people who have gone missing while hiking, camping, and fishing in the woods, and so on. And while yes, we do get that along with the sometimes shoddy investigations conducted by the National Parks service, and how both the US and Canada don't have a database that tracks people that go missing in the wild.
We learn about this while we follow the author as he focuses on this one specific case of a young man that has seemingly abandoned his bike and the small trailer he was hauling and just vanished and has yet to be found. The author tags along with this missing young man’s father as he tirelessly searches for his son- all the while the park service won’t commit resources to help look for him.

What began to really annoy me was the mention of conspiracy theorists and Bigfoot researches- yes, you read that right. Granted the Bigfoot researchers know the woods very well, better than most, and help out in the search. However, I could not suspend my disbelief when these Bigfoot researchers suggest that Bigfoot is responsible for some of the people who seemingly ‘vanish’ in the wild. One such believer even suggested that Bigfoot might even shield and help young kids who have gone missing. Ridiculous.
It gets worse, as other conspiracy theorists have theorized that these people who seemingly vanished have entered a portal to another dimension or have been abducted by aliens.
Now, I could handle the author mentioning these Bigfoot researchers and conspiracy theorists once or twice— but when the author begins to entertain these ideas a something that he believes in and could be an explanation for the ‘vanishings’ of these missing persons, that was when I had enough and felt like I was wasting my time.

I feel this book does quite a disservice to all the missing persons mentioned in this book, the conspiracy theories really detract from these persons mysterious fates and how the system as a whole fails them.

2.5 stars. I would’ve continued if the conspiracy theories were kept to a minimum and not suggested as an explanation for the disappearance of missing persons.

I was really disappointed in this book and the author's choice to entertain these outlandish theories.

** ARC provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

------
It has been brought to my attention on behalf of members from Jacob Gray's family- the young man heavily featured in this book, that the events and the way Jacob as a person was portrayed is in-factual. In fact, no one in the family gave permission to Jon Billman to form a book about missing persons around Jacob's story. Many family members were misquoted, had full names and locations published- all without their permission. The family didn't even know a book was being written about Jacob until a month after it had been released! Can you imagine!!! Not the author nor the publisher had the decent courtesy to contact the family and say they were writing, editing, and publishing this book about a very traumatic and personal tragedy to a wide audience for a profit.
I am horrified and quite glad that I did not finish this book for it's really closer to something like speculative non-fiction than it is a non-fiction.

I personally didn't enjoy the book when I was reading due to the frequent mentions of Big Foot, aliens, and alternate dimensions as explanations for these 'cold vanishes'. I thought it to be really quite ridiculous and disrespectful to include these as legitimate explanations. If this was my loved one featured in a book, I too would be very upset.
As a result of this new information, my rating is now a 1 star.

My condolences to the family of Jacob Gray.

[Bon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down. I did finish it, at least.

So I was kind of looking for a true crime book akin to Trailed, the one I read about the Shenandoah murders a few months ago. This was not that. And please read or listen with many grains of salt. I'm pretty open-minded with most paranormal concepts but this book both presents at times in its own text, and by subscribing to stories told by witnesses, some pretty far-out stuff.

This book's central story is that of Jacob Gray, who went missing in my own backyard of Washington's Olympic Peninsula federal lands. The case is interspersed with many other shorter stories, some with good endings and some not, but it was grating to the point I just googled and read wikipedia before resuming the book.

I suppose the writer was milking the experience to make it a book, and also find an outlet for the many other search and rescue, missing persons type cases he has been on the fringe of or helped with. He's not a journalist who is straightforward in relaying facts, but really a book writer, so people's unnecessary backstories and weird personal anecdotes found their way into the passages of this book. You get a looooottt of detail about the Gray father's life. There are tons of biblical quotes, long ruminations on "spirit quest"-type missing persons cases, just...A lot going on.

I was side-eyeing a lot. There are occultists, bigfoot hunters, rifle-toting Indigenous people who claim psychic connection with local sasquatch, and hardcore conspiracy theorists in these pages. (I also live in the PNW and was blown away at how all these people had the income to afford our expensive gas/necessity prices and wander all over on slim hunches.) Then I really side-eyed the writer himself, who relays a creepy AF anecdote of taking his young daughter into a random "cool-looking" van he spotted in a parking lot and was then invited into, and which was almost certainly owned by wannabe cult abductors. So his judgment is perhaps to be doubted this entire book, lmao.

Anyways, it was an intriguing listen at some bits. I didn't mind the kind of stern, male narrator, as I'm used to this sort from other historical nonfiction audiobooks, though his pronunciation on some stuff was baffling (biopic pronounced like myopic? I just say bio and pic like the words themselves...). But the book overall had some just too-kooky vibes by the end for what I thought it would be.

[Prescilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love true crime but this one was pretty dull and.... simply felt like a chore to read.
This book was provided for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book feeds into a topic that clearly fascinates me: stories about people who disappear in the wilderness. My reading began decades back with the seminal book in this area, Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild; a few years ago there was The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon; then last year I read Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders, and more recently the marvelous novel Descent.

Unlike those books, each of which focuses on a single disappearance, The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands presents the stories of multiple individuals who vanished without a trace in wild areas across North America and a few other places on the globe, including Australia, Israel and Hawaii. It is nicely structured, with a narrative that weaves around the efforts of Randy Gray to locate his son Jacob, who disappeared in Olympic National Park in April 2017. Alternating chapters relate the stories of other missing persons and of the individuals who are committed to finding them.

Billman approaches these stories and these people with an open mind. Although he may find the suggestions that Bigfoot is responsible unlikely, he treats the true believers with respect. He may give less credit to the messages from clairvoyants, but he helps us understand why the families of the missing don't always dismiss them out of hand. He introduces us to people who live at the extreme as they attempt to track down the missing; people who are obsessed with their skills or their methodology.

It is clear that some of the missing, young men especially, have chosen, if not to disappear, then to find a form of spiritual development that requires that they absent themselves from the populated world for a time. Other people simply get turned around in the woods, or are ambushed by conditions they weren't prepared for, or are, possibly, the victims of foul play.

In our highly-urbanized and farmed world, it is startling to realize just how much true wilderness remains. Places that are nearly impossible to search thoroughly because of dense vegetation, weather conditions, steep terrain, crevasses, lakes, rivers and even wildlife. Where wandering even a short distance off a trail can result in a nightmare you might not survive (assuming you're not Jim Bridger or Jeremiah Johnson).

As much as I enjoy experiencing wild-ish places, I typically stick to marked trails. After reading this book, I think I may make of point of staying in the middle of those trails.

[The Doctor · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good number of the "facts" are false in The Cold Vanish. Jon Billman, put full names and locations into his book, but failed to contact the family for permission. My immediate family, Jacob's relatives, were not contacted or interviewed at all. Yet, Billman quotes these family members as if he had interviewed them.

The Cold Vanish is a false depiction of who Jacob Gray was as a person. Jon Billman completely defamed who Jacob was as a person and member of my family. I'd like to enlighten you to who Jacob Gray truly was. I happen to have the facts since I am related.

About two years prior to his disappearance, Jacob moved to Washington to figure out life. He had graduated from high school. Mental illness played no role in his decision to move to Washington. He started college and a job. He was taking classes, getting amazing grades, and holding down a job. He was planning to transfer to University to pursue a degree in kinesiology. He wanted to be a physical therapist.

Jacob strove to help people. He bounced between potential careers considering law enforcement, rescue, and even becoming an EMT. He decided to major in kinesiology because he had a passion for exercise and understanding muscular function. He believed he could help people in this way.

Jacob worked at the retirement home for over a year. He did not quit because he couldn't handle the death. He worked there for over a year. Jacob loved every resident and he was beloved by every resident. When he brought food to those who couldn't leave their beds, he would spend an extra 10-20 minutes to talk with each bedridden individual. He didn't have to do this and he knew he'd fall behind with work, but he was compassionate and wanted to let each person know they were important. He would listen to their stories and share his own tales.

One elderly woman, who had become a dear friend to Jacob, told him that she was happy she had the chance to meet him before she died. He was a compassionate, loving person with a heart of gold and Billman portrayed him as an unstable mess.

This "false" book claimed that Jacob had no friends and his mother was worried. He had friends. He had many friends in Washington. First off, he was close with his family in Washington. Every weekend we would go on a fun hiking adventure or he would take his youngest cousin camping. Nearly every night, we had movie nights or he would head over to his nonrelative best friend's place and play pool. Him and I would go out and grab frozen yogurt, watch sunsets, and talk about life. Whenever I was stressed about school, he immediately recognized my anxieties and would encourage me. I did the same for him. He was my best friend.

A year after living with us, he ended up getting an apartment, since he was doing well with his job and classes. He would visit us nearly everyday and oftentimes we, HIS FRIENDS, would pile into his small apartment to watch movies and play videogames.

He didn't start showing signs of mental illness until a couple months before his disappearance. It took everyone by surprise and as soon as we knew something was wrong, the entire family tried to intervene and get him help. But, getting help for someone you love is completely impossible in this country. Every single system (law enforcement, medical, state and federal parks) acts as an obstacle. Systems that should be set in place to help and search for the missing. We did everything in our power to help him and keep him safe and when he disappeared, we fought hard to get the park to allow a search.

Jon Billman has portrayed him and our family as unstable, chaotic, and negligent which is far from the truth. What he failed to show was the deep love and commitment of a family who wanted to find a lost member alive and everything that stood in their way.

I am disgusted that he failed to fact-check and reach out to the family. I'm disgusted he defamed Jacob's parents making them appear like negligent fools, and I am disgusted how he defamed Jacob's character for money and reviews.

He absolutely failed to portray the true Jacob who was adventurous, loving, compassionate, intelligent, and hilarious. He missed out on an amazing, inspiring tale and settled for hack work. A tale, he would have gotten if he bothered to contact the family and get actual quotes. He has caused great DISTRESS among Jacob's family and friends with his lazy storytelling and lack of fact-checking. Jon Billman has not only reopened old wounds, but has dumped salt on those wounds with his false depiction of Jacob's life before his disappearance.

Next time, he should fact-check and interview the ENTIRE family involved before publishing 'non-fiction', he may find an even more compelling story and best-seller.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cold Vanish is renowned journalist Jon Billman’s attempt to shine a light on the vast numbers of people who simply disappear without a trace in the wild outdoors, amongst the lush scenery, leaving their relatives with more questions than answers and a neverending vivid imagination as our minds inevitably jump to all sorts of conclusions when an event is so difficult to come to terms with; it's this not knowing and having no closure on the whereabouts of their loved one that slowly eats away at an individual from the inside. As a true crime enthusiast, I spend many a long hour watching youtube videos and some of those follow the progression of missing person investigations and where I have learned from interviews with relatives and friends of those missing that it is the not knowing that makes it really difficult to move on as they wonder many things such as whether it's possible they fell victim to a killer and even if their loved one is still alive and vanished purposefully perhaps due to financial or personal issues in their lives and do not want to be located. It's these constant speculations that would likely turn me insane if I was on the receiving end of a missing person case.

The stark difference between cases of those missing in the wild, vast and often rugged landscapes across America and other missing persons cases is that even if a victim died of exposure or natural causes out there there are plenty of animal scavengers that would make off with parts of the body leaving bones possibly scattered miles and miles apart. In this fascinating book, Billman touches on a plethora of issues relevant to the subject matter and primarily decides to focus on the most creepy and interesting cases - the ones that defy all logic. I found this an enjoyable and accessible read and felt as though I was learning new information at the same time as being entertained; I mean it doesn't get much better than that when it comes to nonfiction, does it? Written in a compassionate and sensitive manner, it is clear to see on every single page how much Billman cares about those missing souls. If you're anything close to a true crime aficionado then this haunting, moving and compulsively readable book is not to be missed. Powerful and provocative, engrossing and encyclopedic, this comes highly recommended. Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for an ARC.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cold Vanish is an extremely well written and involving read about people who vanish into the wilderness and those who endlessly search for them.

The author immerses himself into their stories, spending time with an eclectic group of travellers and searchers, from close family, one father specifically, to professionals and experts and even those on the trail of Bigfoot. It is an intimate and melancholy reading experience that is also a huge page turner - through the eyes of Jon Billman these larger than life characters both here and lost gain a vivid reality, in the end they feel almost like your own family

The mystery of these lost souls is compelling and often very strange indeed. You wouldn't think in this technological world that it would be possible to disappear without a trace, sometimes in plain sight but the in depth research Jon Billman undertook in this book shows that it happens more often than its comfortable to think about. He himself is deeply affected by these random tragedies and that comes across with every passing chapter.

It made me both want to visit wild natural landscapes and at well away at the same time. The main story within the rest is sad yet somehow uplifting and I dont think any of these people will leave my mind easily.

Highly recommended.

[Rebecca Nagrodski · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off incredibly strong - It's extremely well researched; the descriptions are very strong; and the people simply jump off the page.

Unfortunately, halfway through the book, the book lost itself in the random sidebars about Bigfoot and baseless theories. When that happened, it becomes almost impossible to keep track of the many stories or what the book is trying to say.

That said, I would love to read the original magazine article that this book was based on. I think that in smaller doses, this type of reporting would be absolutely fascinating.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this one. While it wasn't what I hoped, I still very much enjoyed the beginning.

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am related to Jacob and this book is a sham. The author did not get permission to use names from any of the family members. He also made up quotes and facts. He didn’t even get the family relationships right.

This whole story is fiction and honestly it is wrong that he was so careless with his writing. As a journalist he should make sure he has his facts straight.

He wrote Jacob and his parents so differently than they are. Just a couple emails and calls with people who knew Jacob would of changed his story. But instead he decided to be lazy and make up his own accounts.

It’s wrong. If you want to read this book, just make sure you know it is fiction and it is not true to Jacob’s character.

[Lynette Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this "extensively researched" non-fiction account of lost individuals in wild areas. Having been a park ranger locally in Boulder, Colorado for about 20 years, I've done my fair share of big scale searches (and finds). I've even been part of a rescue dog team, and was training a dog until I was injured. Not even 1/4 of a way into this book, it made me angry. It is obvious that the author doesn't like or understand (or even sought out to understand) how National Park Service SAR operates in individual parks. He was very dismissive and blatantly sought to discredit all officials as aloof, uncaring, and conspiring to keep all the files on missing people under NPS managed lands a huge secret, because the public couldn't deal with it (although Jacob's family made public posts about how attending, caring and committed the NPS staff were). Throw in a bunch of mumbo jumbo about Bigfoot, a woman who feeds a bigfoot family and talks via telepathy with them, UFOs, portals to other worlds, and other nonsense, I felt this was a bit too woo woo. There are no conspiracy theories where NPS is keeping missing people a secret. Mostly, their budgets get smaller every year, more people use the parks, there is less staff to do more work, and searches cannot be maintained after a certain period - who is going to pay for that? Helicopters and air craft are not free. Lost research opportunity there, tell us how much it costs.

Getting back to that research - I lost all hope that the author had actually done quality research when he was discussing a missing person in Mesa Verde NP. He was alluding to (perhaps flippantly, I'll give him that) that a missing older adult vanished like the Old Ones into a sipapu. The author talked about how the Anasazi lived in kivas, which is totally inaccurate. You can't throw a rock in Mesa Verde without hitting an interpretive sign, a ranger talk, or a BOOK that talks about what a kiva actually is - a ceremonial chamber, NOT living quarters, so how could he miss that. Later, he interviews a man in Colorado and follows him and his bloodhounds around. So, more research blundering here. What an amazing opportunity he had to educate the reader about the different tactics that SAR dog teams implement in searches, how scent travels, what it does, and how dogs find people (or don't). The author lets the tracker discredit "all those German Sheppards" - bloodhounds are actually NOT set up to be SAR dogs because they trail, not air scent, and this handler has very much alienated himself from the SAR dog communities because of his grousing and inappropriate tactics - so maybe the worst choice to include in a book about SAR. SAR dogs mostly air scent, and are made up of many breeds. That man with the bloodhounds (and I've met him) is rude, disheveled, smelly, and thinks yelling "search dog coming through" is enough to allow him to trespass on private property (it isn't) - plus, leaving containers of cadaver material under rocks on public land is also not ok. Search dogs should not take "excessive dumps" or wander around smelling dead fish during a search. It would have been nice to actually speak with an air scent team to actually see how SAR is performed with dogs, for contrast. There plenty of great teams on the Front Range, and they all know the bloodhound guy. And my guess as to why this author kept getting ghosted by law enforcement is because no one wanted to be in a book that talked about maybe people go missing because of Bigfoot. And while the author says he isn't SAYING people disappear because of Bigfoot, he also says it doesn't meant they HAVEN'T been kidnapped by Bigfoot. poTAYto poTAHto.

I actually skipped a few chapters and read the end of the book, after looking at the Facebook page for Jacob, and also seeing that this author didn't necessarily get permission to use people's names related to Jacob (although he didn't use the telepathic bigfoot feeder's name, oddly enough). Lucky me I got this as a library book and can GIVE IT BACK. Yeah, this book made me mad, lol.

PS - people that do a lot of meth can (and do) have teeth that are perfect. Again, do a little research.

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

The forests of the Pacific Northwest are beautiful, but deadly. As this book explains, people walk into the trees and never come back out. Is it Bigfoot? Is it True Crime? Is it ill preparation? Is it mental illness? Is it bears? Is it weather? Is it accidents? There are a myriad of reasons for the daily disappearances that take place, although it may be surprising to discover just what they are.

I eagerly dipped into the book because I thought this was going to be about the various serial killers who seem to emanate from the Land of Rain. Not that I thrill off reports of murder but because there always seems to be a new report of another vanishing. However, the book is mostly about the search for Jacob Gray, who vanished while on a bicycle trip in 2017 within Olympic National Park. The star of the book is Jacob’s father, Randy Gray, who refuses to give up in the search for his missing son. He travels all over several states in the hope his son travelled incognito and just wanted to be by himself. That’s another of the many reasons people vanish…the denial of civilization. It isn’t necessarily that a missing person is dead as it is so much that a missing person wants to go missing on purpose.

Along the way, the author drops little breadcrumbs along the way. For instance, while joining a search party for another vanishing, he learns a search party member is the sister of one of the victims of Bruce McArthur, Canada’s Wayne Gacy-like serial killer. Then there are groups devoted to Bigfoot, believing that a fur-covered giant roams the forests kidnapping travellers. Another way people vanish is through not being prepared. They go off on their own or get lost from others and don’t carry water or clothing to survive overnight. One example is of a woman who vanishes. Everyone thinks there has been foul play but she lost the trail, fell down a hill, broke her leg, and had to crawl miles to a river, where she was accidentally noticed by a helicopter crew. Most aren’t so lucky. There’s also a little aside about the Great Basin Serial Killer, which was a reminder to never stop your car for ANYONE.

“The Cold”. That’s the main killer of many of the Pacific Northwest missing. Even hikers and campers who have bought the most expensive clothes and gear wind up freezing to death. Even when there are just bones left, the experts can see the telltale signs of hypothermia, because the victims become hot and disrobe in below freezing temperatures. And sometimes it’s a bear or a cougar who dispatches the victim or a hiker goes down to a river for refreshment, falls in and drowns. So, while writing mainly about one missing person, the book knocks out a list of what actually happens. Mother Nature is not to be ignored.

There is also an acknowledgment of the lack of searching capabilities by the local, state, or federal government. If a person goes missing but crosses a river that is in a new jurisdiction, bureaucracy will delay a search or even refuse to authorize any potential rescues. People also assume that since they pay taxes and are not evil, someone should be looking for them. But there are so many missing, literally thousands, that it’s difficult to find the time and the resources to go after each and every single person.

So, I did get engrossed in the read even though it ended up being focused on one vanishing and their family. I will stick to city streets in warm weather, thank you very much.

Book Season = Winter (abandoned bicycles)

[Robert Conley · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, I listened to the audiobook. My initial dislike of The Cold Vanish had almost entirely to do with the narrator (Stephen Graybill). He’s described as an award winning voice-over actor and does have a smooth voice, but his cadence through much of the audiobook left me almost dreading listening to it. Many times what is obviously a coma in a sentence is narrated as if there are two separate sentences. The book Denali’s Howl is narrated in like fashion (bad cadence and mispronounced words). I’m amazed a publisher would allow such poor production in an audiobook format.
I know the answer to this criticism is that instead of an audiobook I should just read the book. Here lies my second complaint. The amount of time given to Sasquatch hunters and psychics is mind boggling. There are repeated references to psychics making the reader wonder if somehow a premonition will be the answer to the central case the book revolves around. Yet with all of the time given to the subject, toward the end he states that a psychic has never solved a cold case. So why include it in the story at all? Maybe reference it lightly then address that psychic tips are bogus and work on building the relationships within the story to a more full extent. But no! We also have psychics that get telepathic messages from Sasquatch tribes!
I’m disappointed to have read (listened to) this. I have a hard time putting effort into a book then deciding I’d rather not finish it. I probably would’ve been happier with my disappointment in not finishing it than I am with the disappointment of putting so much time into a book I really didn’t care for.

[RhS · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say it's hard to get lost in the modern world. Not when it comes to national forests and parks in the U.S. and Canada. In these vast and beautiful spaces, disappearing forever is easy.

You know the drill. You pay the entrance fee, grab a map, register for any special permits. Nobody hands you a missing persons flyer for the elderly man who vanished off a heavily traveled trail yesterday. The park rangers don't ask you to look out for the twenty-something redhead who went for a run two weeks ago and never returned. That would be bad for tourism, of course.

But under the routine hustle and bustle, there’s another layer: the world of the missing, their loved ones, and the ones who search. And search. And search ...

Jon Billman takes us on a deep dive into that subculture. This is fascinating stuff.

“Searches are as unique as fingerprints.” Terrain, season, weather, circumstance of the disappearance, and physical / mental capabilities of the missing person all factor into a search plan.

The entity that has jurisdiction over the missing is directly correlated to the response. “Those people who go missing in a national park are lucky. National parks are the gold standard as far as missing cases go.“

Apparently, there’s K9 drama. Not everyone likes “dog people.” Some consider them territorial and uncooperative. The handlers, not the dogs. There are rifts among the dog handlers, as well. Bloodhound proponents claim the breed’s nose is superior so they put up with flatulence. Others swear shepherds are just as qualified and less stinky.

The concept of “lost person behavior” could fill its own book. And does. You can read up on it elsewhere. Or get a ten dollar app. For example, people who want to be found tend to go downhill. People who don’t want to be found, go up.

If you’re not outdoorsy, be prepared to learn new vocabulary. You'll have to google definitions. The author wastes no time explaining what it means to grab the DEET and scramble up a scree.

Many, many cases are mentioned here, but the author focuses mainly on a young man named Jacob Gray. Jacob’s bike and supplies are found neatly abandoned in Olympia National Park. When Jacob doesn't turn up, his father, Randy, liquidates all his business capital and devotes the next few years to searching.

Randy Gray dives miles of the Sol Duc River himself. He hikes for days, bushwhacking through dense growth. He follows up on tips from psychics. He studies maps, envisioning which places might call to his son. And then he searches those places.

An open-minded person, Randy considers every possibility. Maybe Jacob committed suicide or was abducted by Bigfoot. Maybe he joined a cult or was beamed up by a UFO. Maybe he went on a secluded religious journey or succumbed to hypothermia. Maybe he was injured or killed by a bear. Maybe he was murdered.

For Randy, the search is about his son. When Jacob is found, the search will end. But some people make it their business to search for strangers. In teams or alone. Using science or pure physical endurance. With a reward or without. It’s just what they do, and the grim truth is they will never run out of cases. Their work days are a revolving door of the vanished. Some cases get resolved. Some don’t. They live with that.

Some people hardly attract any searchers at all. You can guess which type of missing person gets the most attention and which gets the least. It's the ususal BS of status and wealth.

The author's tone is journalistic in style, packed with facts but with enough human interest to be juicy. My only complaint is the organization. The author weaves in and out of Jacob’s story, making the overall arc hard to follow. But definitely worth the read.

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw the title and cover, then read the blurb, and my interest was peaked. I had to know what Jon Billman had to say in this true story of the missing across the country.

To tell the story, Jon Billman did walk in Jacob Gray’s footsteps, to a point.

The Schrödinger’s cat experiment…I had never heard the entire experiment, but the fact that it is neither, dead or alive, or both, dead and alive, until you open the box. I imagine it is the same with a missing person. I cannot imagine how the not knowing could mess with someone’s mind.

I do believe some of the problem is with those who are doing the investigating. The process has come a long way, but I think investigators can still get stuck on one person, zeroing in on them, making the suspect fit the evidence. Not only has technology aided the investigators, the investigators have become more sophisticated.

Unfortunately, there are still those who are out to make a name for themselves, to get elected to office. or just inept and unqualified for the job at hand. And the wilderness…such a large area where bodies could be easily hidden, make findng them like a needle in a haystack.

Cold Vanish…here one minute, gone the next. Aliens? Bigfoot? The Supernatural?

The book was written like a TV episode, hopping from one case to another, coming back again and again. It was confusing at times, but I do like that so many missings were shared.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman.

See more at fundinmental

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed parts of this book, primarily the smaller stories. I liked the bookend parts of Jacob and Randy’s story as well, although I found the middle parts in which Randy is wandering around looking at cult compounds to be both pointless and sad.
My main gripe with this book is the author’s odd sentence structure choices and misunderstanding of the common comma. I had to read some sentences several times to tease out meaning- a simple comma would have made them much more comprehensible. Maybe a more engaged editor would have helped?

[PATCHES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too me forever to finish, but this was… phenomenal. I loved Billman’s writing. I love how he weaves this story. Really remarkable.

[Sophy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book just blew me away!

I have always been fascinated and just a tiny bit fearful of the American Wilderness; I think the sheer vastness of the spaces makes me think it would be so easy to disappear out there. And so enters Jon Billman.

It is almost with a morbid curiosity that we are drawn to the missing or the unfound. Billman presents a shocking set of statistics on the numbers of those who go missing every year in national parks and forests, and a worrying percentage of those are indigenous or Native American women.

Billman looks at many different cases of missing persons and their varied outcomes, but follows mainly the case of young Jacob Grey who abandons his touring bicycle and then seemingly vanishes from the face of the earth.

What is shocking throughout the book is the lack of cohesion and coordination between certain government agencies responsible for search and rescue operations. In the UK, we take it for granted that the police investigate missing persons and will use police helicopter etc if the need is for searching a large area, SARA (search and rescue teams) will go out for mountain rescues/river searches or dredges/remote landscape searches. In the US, it seems each agency is fighting the other, seemingly disallowing dog tracker searches before much red tape has been crossed, and each agency constantly passing the buck on whose jurisdiction the land comes under. Ashamedly it appears that many missing persons might have been found had it not been for the pigheadedness of authorities.

Billman also covers the "abnormal" side of disappearances, including reported sightings of Bigfoot, strange lights in the sky, physical changes in atmospheric energy in certain remote mountain regions and hints at portals to other dimensions. People and young children seemingly vanish then reappear unhurt and thriving some time later literally metres from where they disappeared. Whilst some might scoff at these otherwordly suggestions, I suppose there are always things that science can't truly explain away.

Billman looks at the possibility that some people don't want to be found, and disappear purposefully; maybe looking for something unattainable. I have to say, it seemed odd the amount of young white Christian men mentioned, who seemed to have a overt fascination with the bible, raptures, pilgrimage type scenarios. Indeed Billman describes the Jerusalem Syndrome. In with this he looks at the number of cults and sects, some of whom set themselves up along the Pacific Crest Trail and attempt to lure tired travellers in with the promise of energy giving chocolate or food.

I love the amount of differing aspects Billman covers here, from family relationships and available resources to survival techniques and cadaver dog trainers!

The journey of this book is truly fascinating and I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend and would definitely read it again.

Re-read January 2024 :- I had to have a re-read of this after a run of 1 & 2 star shitty books had left me in a January slump. This book remains for me a firm favourite. It is completely absorbing and fascinating. America's wilderness is so so vast and it really intrigues and enthralls me. The idea of so many missing people out there is hardly surprising given the amount of depressive, suicidal, disenchanted, unlucky, unfortunate and simply inexperienced people in the world. Whether intentional or accidental, death is almost guaranteed in a lot of these cases, particularly where unexpected weather and bad foreplanning is involved. It still surprises me the lack of coordination in SAR and the piecemeal nature of national databasing of missing persons. The oversights among differing agencies is shocking. Budgets and egos seem to loom large in whether you're looked for properly or not. I love Billman's approach to this book, nothing is left off the table and every imaginable lead is followed. A 5 star fantastic read that is going straight back on my "ol faves" shelf.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A person isn’t missing until they’re reported missing. Even then, if you’re over eighteen years old, going missing isn’t a crime or even an emergency.”

Conservative estimates put the number of missing persons whose last known location was somewhere in the wildlands of the United States at 1,600. I was astonished to learn that no one really keeps track of how many people have disappeared in the mountains, parks, forests, scrub or deserts across the country, and as such the real number is likely quite higher.

Some of the people reported missing may eventually found alive, perhaps disorientated, injured, or even living a new life elsewhere. Others may be recovered deceased days, weeks, months, even years after they disappeared, having met with some kind of misadventure. Some are never seen nor heard of again. Of particular interest to Billman are those cases where someone disappears under circumstances that suggest they should be easily found, like Jacob Gray, or conversely those that are found, alive or dead, after an improbable period or in unlikely locations, like Casey Hathaway.

Billman details a number of cases in The Cold Vanish, gathering information from relatives and/or friends, law enforcement officials, search and rescue personnel, and other interested parties. One of these is the case of Jacob Gray which the author repeatedly returns to throughout the narrative.

For seventeen months after Jacob Gray went missing in 2017, his red bicycle and hiking gear found by a river near the Olympic National Park in Washington, his father searched, traversing miles of river, trails, and streets both near and far from where he was last seen. Left in an agony of limbo, he was willing to consider every possible fate for his son from a mundane slip and fall, to abduction by a cult or a serial killer, to an encounter with a Bigfoot, if it meant he would find some answers. He followed up on every clue from vague sightings to psychic predictions.

Billman examines the factors that influence searches, not only delays in reporting but also, unsurprisingly, terrain and weather, as well as search personnel experience, bureaucracy, funding, and jurisdictional conflicts. The average official search period for a missing person in wild areas is five days, and the resources available vary widely between locations. Billman interviews expert trackers, search dog handlers, divers and advocates, and writes of his own participation in searches for the missing, accompanying both officials and volunteers.

With a well organised, well researched*, and accessible narrative, Billman effectively communicates the facts, but also ensures the humanity of his subjects is never forgotten. I found The Cold Vanish to be both a fascinating and frightening read.

*I was contacted by a relative of Jacob Gray who feels Jacob and his family were misrepresented in the book. I have left the comment below.

[Cav · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm admittedly a bit of a sucker for unsolved mysteries, and I also like reading real-life sagas of varying sorts. This one seemed to tick both those boxes, so I put it on my list as soon as I came across it. However, despite being full of potential, the book ultimately fell short of my expectations...

Author Jon Billman is a former wildland firefighter and high school teacher. He holds an MFA in Fiction from Eastern Washington University. He's the author of the story collection When We Were Wolves (Random House, 1999). Billman is a regular contributor to Outside and his fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Esquire, The Paris Review, and Zoetrope: All-Story.

Jon Billman:


"The Cold Vanish." Its namesake describes the most captivating and chilling of the different kinds of disappearances. As the jacket describes: "The proverbial vanished without a trace incidences..."
Although many different cases are covered to some extent, the main focus of the book is the story of the strange disappearance of cyclist Jacob Gray in the Olympic National Park. The author spent quite a bit of time with Jacob's father, in his quest to find his missing son.

These are the kind of stories that inspire talk of the supernatural, or - at the very least - baffle the minds of the rescuers, as well as the missing person's immediate family. Jacob's case was certainly very strange - at least.
I was excited to see where Billman would take this interesting material. Unfortunately, I found that he jumped around here way too often. Many cases are briefly touched on, and then abandoned. For example, he mentions the case of Daniel Trask, who vanished in Northern Ontario in 2011. Trask is briefly talked about, and then never followed up on. His body would eventually be found, in 2015.

At times Billman machine-guns names, dates, and descriptions of missing people. But then he also spends ~half the book on the Jacob Gray case, with little attempt at producing a cohesive narrative flow in between. I was not a fan of this somewhat off-the-cuff style...

*************************

Although Billman's writing was not that bad here (thankfully), I found the book to have very poor formatting, as well as overall presentation...
It could have done with a ground-up editing, for the sake of clarity, continuity, and reader engagement.
Too bad, as the material had a lot of potential...
2 stars.